Savannah State University News

  Alumna and FDIC Senior Leader Nikita Pearson has been selected as Savannah State University's Fall 2022 Commencement speaker. Savannah State University will hold its 201st undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremony on Friday, Dec. 9, at T. A. Wright Stadium with alumna Nikita Pearson, Class of 1998, as the esteemed commencement speaker. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Approximately 300 students will receive master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees. A native of Thomson, Ga., Pearson serves in senior leadership at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in Washington, D.C., as deputy to the chairman for External Affairs and director of the agency’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion. Earlier this year, the Association of Government Accountants presented Pearson its inaugural Eleanor Clark Diversity Leadership Award for her contributions to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Pearson testified before the U.S. House Committee on

Savannah State University President Kimberly Ballard- Washington (left) presents Tatia Adams Fox (right), Class of ’03, with the Richard R. Wright award, the highest honor that can be bestowed upon an SSU alumni. Photo credit: SSU Multimedia Specialist Sarah Peacock. Savannah State University (SSU) recently celebrated its 132nd Founders’ Day honoring two esteemed alumni with prestigious awards - The Richard R. Wright Award of Excellence and The Cyrus G. Wiley Distinguished Alumni Award. Presented to alumna Tatia Adams Fox, Class of ’03, and named for the first president of SSU, The Richard R. Wright award is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon alumni, recognizing outstanding leaders who have distinguished themselves through their expertise in social, educational and civic arenas. A Savannah native, Fox earned dual bachelor degrees in business administration and mass communications from SSU. She also earned a master’s degree in integrated marketing from Roosevelt University. S

Savannah State University will welcome the 3rd Infantry Division Band to campus to perform in T.A. Wright Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 9. Savannah State University’s Visual and Performing Arts Program will welcome two bands, the 3rd Infantry Division Band and the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, to perform in concert for community members and students studying music on Wednesday, Nov. 9. Free and open to the public, the event will be held from 4 – 6 p.m. at T.A. Wright Stadium. Masterclasses will be provided to students followed by a question and answer session. “This is a great opportunity for our students to see and learn from professional instrumentalists whose level of perfection is unrivaled,” said Gabriel L. Woods, Ph.D., Savannah State University assistant professor of Music Education. “We are excited to help bridge the gap between HBCUs and military bands, to build these relationships and expose our students to some of the best trained and disciplined musicians in the world.” A 40-

  Alumnus Alfred D. McGuire, Jr., Class of ’03, has been selected to speak at Savannah State University’s annual Founders’ Day celebration. Savannah State University (SSU) will celebrate its 132nd Founders’ Day on Thursday, Nov. 10, with alumnus Alfred D. McGuire, Jr., Class of ‘03, as speaker. An awards ceremony and observance of the university’s history, the annual event recognizes outstanding alumni and/or community members and those who have contributed to its success. Free and open to the public, the event will take place in the Student Union Ballrooms, 3219 College St., at 9:30 a.m. A native of Lithonia, Ga., McGuire is the principal of Woodville Tompkins High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Savannah State University and a master’s degree in middle grades education from Armstrong University (Georgia Southern University). He also graduated from Mercer University with an Educational Specialist degree in educational leadership (K-12). As a student at SSU,